I’m Letting Go Katara, Are You Ready?
by shattered hourglass
Summary: Right now, I couldn’t be more hurt that my baby, that my little sister doesn’t need me to take care of her. But at the same time, I’ve never been more proud of you in my entire life.


**I'm Letting Go Katara. Are You Ready?**

By: Shattered Hourglass

Requested by: Eternal Silence

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.

You wanna know something Katara? I can't call you my baby sister anymore.

Well, yeah, you still are my sister and everything (that's something that'll never change). But that's not what I mean. I mean I can't call you my baby sister anymore, because you're not a baby.

Yeah, yeah. I know Katara. You haven't been a baby for years. I get it.

What I mean is; you're not a little girl anymore. You're not the little girl who used to come to me in tears, asking that I help make everything all better.

Okay, so sure you went to Mom mostly when we were kids, but I took care of you too.

Remember that one time when you were four and I had just turned six? Remember how some of the older boys in the tribe were making fun of you and took your doll away from you? Remember how I came and got your doll back, and chased those boys away?

You probably don't. You were still pretty little at the time, and it wasn't anything all that special to remember. I remember it though. I remember it so well, because that was the first time that I really took care of you; the first time I protected you.

I've always taken pride in the fact that Dad left you and the village in my protection when the men left for war; you already know that. You often teased me about how much pride I took in that and how I sometimes became a little overzealous with my actions.

Even more so when Mom died.

I started to be insanely overprotective (though you thought it more male, sexist actions than tough love). I still am really. Aang can attest to that. Spirits only know how many times I've threatened or tackled him because of something he did (usually unwittingly) to you.

But the point is; you're really growing up Katara. You're much more of a woman now… And you have no idea how hard that is for a guy to say about his fourteen year old sister.

I mean, yeah, you make a bunch of bad mistakes (Jet tends to spring to mind); but you're learning from them.

You're starting to notice boys too (as much as I wish I didn't have to worry about that). I saw all those little looks you gave that guy at the market place. No point in denying it Katara. I just hope you didn't see all the little looks (death glares) I gave that guy when he tried looking at you.

Not to mention your bending. It seems like just yesterday you could barely push and pull the water. Now look at you. You can bend water, ice, heal, and have memorized almost every stance ever invented for waterbending. Only a few months (two or three I think, I lost count a while ago) have gone by, and you're already a master.

And you're fierce in battle. It takes a bit of my pride to admit it, but you can fight just as well as I can. Okay, yeah, when it comes to actual fighting (real warrior stuff), I'm still the best. If you were given a sword (granted I can't use a sword either) or a club or whatever and thrust into a battle, you'd get your butt kicked. But with your bending, you can take out entire armies of Fire Nation soldiers single handedly.

But, you're really maturing Katara. You're not nearly as naïve as you used to be, or as trusting to complete strangers. There hasn't been a repeat of the Jet incident yet. But somehow, you're still so kind. I know I couldn't just meet someone, and completely ignore some of the bad things he had done and focus on the good. I could never be as kind and gentle as you are.

Not that I'd want to be. I'm a guy. Guys aren't kind and gentle. Guys are brave and tough and proud, and okay. I'll stop with the macho speech.

The fact is Katara, you're growing up. I'm already beginning to image what you're life is going to be like after this stupid war is finally over. Can you actually believe that I pictured giving you away to some guy to be his wife? I mean, you're growing up, but you're not that old yet. Any guy that wants to be with you is going to have to go through me first. And trust me; I have no qualms about beating him into a bloody pulp if I don't think he's good enough for you.

Maybe I should get to the point now.

Katara, you don't need me like you used to. You don't need me to protect you in battle, or to make the monsters go away. You don't wake up from nightmares about Mom, and crawl into my sleeping bag with me like you used to. You don't need to me to follow you and make sure you don't hurt yourself, or get hurt by others anymore.

You don't need me to take care of you anymore Katara. And it's a strange, wistful feeling; not being needed. Right now, I couldn't be more hurt that my baby- that my little sister doesn't need me to take care of her. But at the same time, I've never been more proud of you in my entire life.

Even now, as you sit and laugh with Aang (up to your waist in the river water, completely drenched from a waterbending lesson turned water war), you're not who you used to be.

I'm always going to be here for you when you need me Katara. I doubt you could ever really get rid of me. But I'm going to let go of your hand now.

Your hand that held onto mine when you started to toddle around with unsteady steps; your hand that clutched at mine when Mom died; your hand that has lately been tugging and pulling and fighting to get away from me so you can go out of your own.

I'm letting go Katara. I know you can do this.

Are you ready?


End file.
